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ISSUE 5.2

King Salman and His Son: Winning the U.S., Losing the Rest

Dr. Madawi Al-Rasheed

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Photo: The White House
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This presentation on domestic mobilization and how it influences Saudi regional politics was given by Dr. Madawi Al-Rasheed at the Asfari Institute for Civil Society & Citizenship, at the American University of Beirut. 

Courtesy of the Asfari Institute for Civil Society & Citizenship
Recent updates on Saudi foreign policy:

With the appointment of Muhammad ibn Salman as crown prince in June 2017, Saudi foreign policy seems to become the centre of wide ranging speculation. Although King Salman is still in office, we can assume that his son Muhammad had been de facto orchestrator of Saudi foreign policy even before he was confirmed in his new role as crown prince in June 2017. In terms of relations with the US, Muhammad ibn Salman succeeded in establishing a momentary strong rapport with President Donald Trump and his administration, thanks to serious investment in public relations companies, lobbyists in Washington and the promise to inject funds in the US economy.

Relations with Europe look as if they entered a cooling off period with European leaders still unsure about how to assess the young prince. Many Europeans are nevertheless keen to win the heart and mind of the young prince, with the prospect of financial rewards and stronger military partnerships for economic, strategic and security reasons.

In the Arab region, the young Saudi prince has already cemented new albeit shaky partnerships with countries such as Egypt and the UAE in order to further isolate his archenemy, Iran. Although there are signs that he is reaching out to Iran, it remains to be seen whether peaceful relations between the two countries are possible.

In the Gulf, the recent rift with Qatar threatens to undermine the GCC as a regional institution. Media wars between the Saudi led quartet and Qatar are still raging while sanctions and blockades remain in place over two months into the crisis.

Watch the presentation:

Guests

Dr. Madawi Al-Rasheed
Dr. Madawi Al-Rasheed

Author of several books and articles on Saudi Arabia. 

Madawi is Visiting Professor at the LSE Middle East Centre. In January 2017, she returned to the MEC from a sabbatical year at the Middle East Institute, the National University of Singapore. Previously, she was Research Fellow at the Open Society Foundation. Between 1994–2013, she was Professor of Anthropology of Religion at King’s College London. She was also Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. She has taught at Goldsmith College, University of London and the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford.

Since joining the MEC, Madawi has been conducting research on mutations among Saudi Islamists after the 2011 Arab uprisings. This research focuses on the new reinterpretations of Islamic texts prevalent among a small minority of Saudi reformers and the activism in the pursuit of democratic governance and civil society. The result of this research project, sponsored by the Open Society Foundation Fellowship Programme, appeared in a monograph entitled Muted Modernists (2015, Hurst & OUP). Her latest edited book, Salman’s Legacy: The Dilemmas of a New Era was published by Hurst in 2018.

In addition, Al-Rasheed has published several articles in academic journals and edited volumes on Saudi Arabia’s political development since the Arab uprisings, gender policies and current affairs. She regularly contributes to international television and print media. She appeared on the BBC's Newshour and Radio 4's documentary on Saudi Arabia, Sand of Time, and was interviewed by CNNBBC World ServiceCCTV, and al-Hura Arabic television. Her op-eds appeared in Al-MonitorThe GuardianPoliticoForeign PolicyMiddle East EyeNew Internationalist,  La Vanguardia, and Foreign Affairs.

Twitter: @MadawiDr

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